He isn't an MVP talent or anything like that (no offense, but it's true), but the Boston Celtics have something in John Tonje. He's a player worth keeping an eye on moving forward, and it could be worth it for the Celtics to give him an expanded role at some point soon.
Boston acquired Tonje from the Utah Jazz as part of last season's Chris Boucher trade, and even though he's played limited minutes for the team since joining, he has shown flashes.
He averaged 18.1 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 2 assists on 44.1/35.5/83.3% shooting splits in 11 games with the Maine Celtics in the G League. And in Boston's final game of this past regular season, Tonje scored 13 points on 4-for-12 shooting (he at least shot 3-for-8 from deep) and recorded four rebounds, one assist, and a steal in 30 minutes against the Orlando Magic.
John Tonje is lighting it up in summer league
It's clear that Tonje has talent. He's shown it in the G League and very, very, very briefly at the NBA level. But he's also playing as well as the Celtics could have hoped he would in summer league so far (and he's not the only one), and he's building a case to be featured a little bit more on the main (not Maine) roster this season.
Through two games in summer league, the Nebraska native is averaging 18.5 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, and two steals on 50/61.5/50% shooting splits.
Tonje looks very comfortable on the court, especially from the perimeter. It is only the summer league, and he still has a lot of obstacles in his way (i.e., his placement on the depth chart), but he's showing out for Boston right now. At this rate, he could become a legitimate asset to the team down the line.
John Tonje is a natural fit in Boston
He hasn't played too often, but what Tonje has shown should get Joe Mazzulla excited.
The Wisconsin alum is a fantastic shooter who can also keep the ball moving and get to the rim. And even though he's not a lockdown defender, he can still guard multiple positions and has a solid frame (6-foot-4, 218 pounds).
If he were to ever get a real opportunity to play "Mazzulla Ball," there are reasons to think Tonje can at least hold his own. He's talented and is a solid fit on paper. Plus, he's still just 25 years old and has a lot of room to grow from here.
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